Different Types of Love
by Black Lightning Bolt
Summary: "Love was varied, complex and confusing. It made people do strange and unexplainable things." Castiel once struggled with the concept of the different types of love, even as he felt each of them but now he understood. Light Destiel and some Sabriel slash. Oneshot.


**A/N: A celebration of the end of my A level exams. Bring on the summer! Admittedly there are parts of this fic I don't like but screw it. I hope you enjoy reading and, if you feel up to it please leave a review.  
Pairings: Destiel and Sabriel.  
Warnings: Slash, musing and spoilers I guess.  
Disclaimer: Supernatural? No, it is not mine. Woe's me.**

Love comes in many forms.

Originally Castiel had never understood that view. He had been a true soldier who listened little to the ideas of men, believing love to be only devotion to his father. Yet now he knew the true meanings of love. Love was varied, complex and confusing. It made people do strange and unexplainable things.

It had led to his fall from grace.

Of course, he had been given back his grace but the point still stood. Castiel had fallen – fallen in love. That was the first type of love other than familial devotion he had come across; the commitment of friendship. It was the simplest of all of them. It was easy to find and easy to acquire. Dean was his first friend and the one who had given him his freedom. He owed Dean everything he was and he would not forget it.

While being friends with Dean (and by extension Sam) was one of the best things that had happened to him, it was also difficult to keep up with the large number of references the elder Winchester made. To combat this he researched such things in his spare moments, making sure to keep it from the brothers' knowledge. He did not want them to be aware of his attempts to understand them. It was during one of his explorations that he found more information on the elusive feeling of love. Apparently Shakespeare had once said 'love is blind'. It was a phrase that had mystified the angel in its literal sense. After all, love did not lead to loss of sight. Yet when he thought of it as an expression…it became less puzzling.

Then came Gabriel's return and he had seen the expression play out in front of his very eyes. Gabriel had done many bad things in the past; one of those things having been hurting the Winchesters repeatedly. Yet they had welcomed him back and pretty much ignored all his past wrong doings. Although Dean had been slightly reluctant to do so. Sam, however… it was in him that the expression was (ironically) most visible. The youngest Winchester had not just accepted Gabriel back but worshipped him in a way that Castiel found breath taking in its devotion and Gabriel had returned the favour. They were beautiful together. So beautiful it hurt Castiel to watch. The pain of longing filling his chest and tugging on his grace at the sight. He hadn't recognised it at first but then he had shared a look with Dean and it had all fallen into place. He had found two types of love that day; the romantic one that surrounded the youngest Winchester and his archangel so completely, and the cruellest kind of love.

Unrequited.

He was in love with Dean Winchester. He was a falling angel in love with a womanizer who had never been in a true long term relationship. Oh how the Fates must have laughed. Nonetheless he had carried his newest burden silently, never telling anyone how painful it was to even look at his charge let alone help him continuously. It was like a physically wound in his chest that cut deeper with every look, every touch and every word spoken between them. Dean was his everything now. Now and forever. So even if Dean never looked at him that way and if he was doomed to be alone in love for all time he would never stop loving the eldest Winchester. His fate was sealed.

It had been Gabriel that had noticed first but Castiel couldn't say he was surprised. The archangel was extremely observant and twice as smart. There was no doubt Gabriel could read it in his body language and sense it from his grace as reached out for what the younger angel's chosen mate. Knowing this, it hadn't been much of a shock when Gabriel had pulled him aside one day and, for once deadly serious, asked him when he was going to 'man up' and take what he wanted. Castiel hadn't been able to answer him because if he was being honest he hadn't even considered trying to court Dean. He had been so sure that Dean would reject him and maybe even hate him.

He had been, as Gabriel put it, a complete idiot.

When he had made it clear to the archangel that he had no intention of acting on his feelings the tricks had begun. Really he should have expected it. After all, Gabriel was the pagan trickster god. Perhaps he was not the trickster god of love but he was Loki nevertheless and that meant trouble. It had started off innocently enough; making Dean trip over and fall into him and 'accidentally' forcing them into each other's personal space in various places, diners and the impala being the main places. It seemed the archangel had drawn the line before locking them in a closet but Castiel had a feeling that was more due to Sam's influence than anything else. The younger Winchester, however, was not completely guiltless in these little collisions and this became apparent upon one of the most obvious times. Sam had been the one to 'trip' in this instance, falling into Dean and subsequently pushing him into the younger angel. It had been Castiel's breaking point and the angel couldn't even remember what he had done next. All he knew was that one moment he was catching the eldest Winchester and the next he had Dean up against a wall, kissing him hard and dominating his mouth.

Now, looking back, he only wished he had seen sense sooner and had listened to Gabriel when he had first approached him. Even though the result would still have been the same and even though he would still have Dean safely in his arms it would have saved both him and Dean the pain they had both silently gone through. For it hadn't just been him wallowing in self-pity over what he had thought was one sided love but Dean as well – their love had never been unrequited.

In the end, Castiel had learnt a lot about love since saving Dean Winchester from perdition, but his favourite kind would always be the one he had always known and was reserved for three very special people.

Sam, Gabriel and Dean.

His true family.


End file.
